LONDON. Four years after an initial controversial discovery suggested the presence of phosphine in the clouds of Venus, scientists have returned with new evidence that strengthens their claim. The findings, presented on July 17 at a Royal Astronomical Society meeting in Hull, England, offer renewed hope for uncovering signs of potential life on the enigmatic planet.
In 2020, the discovery of phosphine—a gas on Earth associated with life—triggered significant debate within the scientific community. Subsequent observations failed to replicate these findings, leading to skepticism and criticism. Now, the same research team has provided additional data that they argue supports the presence of phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere.
Dave Clements, a reader in astrophysics at Imperial College London, highlighted the advancements in their research. “We had three observation campaigns and in just one run, we got 140 times as much data as we did in the original detection,” Clements said. “And what we’ve got so far indicates that we once again have phosphine detections.”
The team has benefited from upgraded equipment, including a new receiver on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii, which has enhanced their confidence in the results. The researchers have also noted the detection of another significant gas—ammonia. Clements remarked, “That is arguably more significant than the discovery of phosphine.”
On Earth, phosphine is produced by decaying organic matter or bacteria, while ammonia, a pungent gas, is also a byproduct of bacterial decomposition. Finding these gases on Venus is surprising given the planet’s harsh atmospheric conditions. “Phosphine and ammonia have both been suggested as biomarkers, including on exoplanets. So finding them in the atmosphere of Venus is interesting on that basis as well,” Clements explained.
While the new data suggests that phosphine may be present, previous studies had dismissed earlier findings as sulfur dioxide contamination. Clements’ team has used data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to refute these claims, suggesting that observations from different times of day might account for discrepancies in phosphine detection.
Moreover, Jane Greaves from Cardiff University introduced evidence of ammonia in Venus’ clouds, which could potentially make the environment less acidic and more suitable for life. “The exciting thing behind this would be if it’s some kind of microbial life making the ammonia, because that would be a neat way for it to regulate its own environment,” Greaves noted.
Despite these promising developments, experts urge caution. Dr. Kate Pattle from University College London stressed, “It’s important to note that the team behind the measurements of phosphine are not claiming to have found life on Venus. If phosphine is really present, it might indicate life, or might indicate that there is Venusian atmospheric chemistry that we do not yet understand.”
The new findings pave the way for future missions to Venus, such as the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer and NASA’s DAVINCI probe, which may offer further insights into the planet’s atmospheric composition and potential to host life.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
